Jesus leaves his people to their own resources, till his own good time for succouring them; the fourth watch came, and he appears. Their trouble was increased by not knowing him, we forget he appoints the trial, as well as delivers us out of it. Did we look to him more, we should oftener hear him say, "Be of good cheer, It is I, be not afraid." Peter exclaims, "Lord, if it be thou;" and even the permission to come to him, did not remove his doubts; still there was faith, though it was weak. "Lord save me!" how encouraging to the weak believer, Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught the sinking disciple, adding only a gentle reproof, VERSES 34-36. 34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. Let all who know Christ act as the inhabitants of the land of Gennesaret, and such as are brought into spiritual contact with him, shall be made perfectly whole, let their sins have been what they may. CHAPTER 15. VERSES 1-20. THEN came to Jesus, scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders ? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition ? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father, or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 12 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered aud said, Every plant, which my heavenly father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do ye not yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: But to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. It is plain we are not to choose our own way of serving God; his commandments must be our only rule; neither the traditions of men, nor their doctrines are to be substituted, for in vain then do we worship Him. The evil which comes from within, out of the heart, alone defiles us, and what a fearful catalogue does our Saviour add of the sins which proceed from the hearts of those who are yet without understanding, the blind leading the blind. VERSES 21-31. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 26 And she said, Truth, Load: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said, unto her, O woman, Great is thy faith be it unto the even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. 29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them : 31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see and they glorified the God of Israel. The instance of perseverance which follows in the woman of Canaan should ever be remembered; who need despond? To Jew, or Gentile, bond, or free, the Lord can both give the faith, and grant the desired blessing: "Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." May this be said to us. Again Jesus ascends a mountain, where great multitudes followed him, taking with them the lame, the blind, and the dumb. How should we be encouraged to intercede for such, doing in faith what they did by sight. VERSES 32-39. 32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude? 34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. 35 And he commanded the He In the wilderness Christ again feeds the multitude. will not let those who follow him faint by the way. Manna was provided for his people of old, in the wilderness, and we may feed daily on the bread which came down from heaven, Christ saying himself, "I am the bread of life." CHAPTER 16. 1-4. THE Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the O ye sky is red and lowing. hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times? 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them and departed. Loving darkness rather than light, how many are left now in their ignorance, as these Pharisees were of old. Our purpose must be single in seeking for truth. Let the answer of our Lord on this occasion be sign sufficient for us. lays bare their hypocrisy, and punishes them by departing. He VERSES 5-12. 5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread ? 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. We can scarcely fail to wonder that the disciples should so soon forget the power of their master to provide for their bodily wants, and that they should not see also his reference to the principles of the Scribes and Pharisees; whom they had just left. Let us look within, and our wonder may cease, and take our Lord's reproof to ourselves. E VERSES 13-20. 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi. he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist : some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. How variously has this question put by our Lord been answered, even up to this time. How has Christ been called a prophet, his divinity denied, and his word doubted, proving too truly that flesh and blood cannot indeed impart the blessed truth that Christ is the son of the living God. When this truth is revealed to us by the Spirit, no power can prevail against us, we are then members of that church which is built on the rock of ages. VERSES 21--28. 21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24 Then Jesus said unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? |